Town Square

The strike against Raley's and Nob Hill stores ended yesterday when a tentative agreement was reached between Raley's management and two unions of the United Food and Commercial Workers in Northern and Central California.

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Posted by Mike Lee
a resident of Bridle Creek
on Nov 13, 2012 at 10:33 am

The union did a disservice by striking their employer! If they wanted to picket, go stand in front of wal-mart. They are the ones killing your jobs! Ask how many of the union members have ever shopped at a wal-mart and you may be surprised at their stupidity. If you want to save your middle-class jobs then unite against the forces that truly threaten your standard of living. It's not just you in the grocery business being negatively impacted but every small town in america and beyond. They profess "low prices-always" but cheaper is not necessarily better. Cheaper usually involves China...Buy American folks!!!

Posted by neighbor
a resident of Bridle Creek
on Nov 13, 2012 at 12:44 pm

Union picketing is no disservice to anyone. It is completely American to have collective bargaining. Mr. Lee is wrong about that. Unions built this Country and companies should be thankful for their members hard work instead of trying to squeeze more profits by taking benefits.

But Mr. Lee is correct about Wal-Mart and its nearly all Made in China goods. I agree--buy American! I bought my first Ford this year and am really enjoying it! Glad the strike is over and that it didn't go on too long.

Posted by Jaime
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Nov 14, 2012 at 9:21 am

Now that Raley's has given into the union's demands, the net result is going to be that you will be paying still higher grocery prices. I love Raley's, but the grocery union's actions will likely mean I do more grocery shopping at Walmart.

Posted by Another Neighbor in Pleasanton
a resident of Foothill High School
on Nov 14, 2012 at 10:52 am

Mr. Lee is correct, it is Wal-Mart that should have the picketers. Folks, Wal-Mart negotiates with the cities that they go into by promising they will bring jobs! Yes, they do but the jobs are part-time and the wash-out rate is 75%. Which means people gets jobs just long enough so they can go on the public dole (unemployment). That we pay for!!!

ALSO do you know what Wal-Mart gets in return for the "promised jobs"? They get tax breaks or even paying NO taxes for years. These lost taxes means no money to the city coffers for police, fire or taking care of the streets.

We give all that up by letting Wal-Mart in. Because people want cheap, cheap, cheap, we lose more more more manufacturing jobs to overseas and we aid the demise of our cities by laying of police and fire fighters because we cannot afford them.

Posted by Klisvak
a resident of Castlewood Heights
on Nov 14, 2012 at 11:58 am

All of you PW contributors, who love the Union shops such as Raley's or Safeway just shop there and PAY more. In fact, why don't you when checking out slip an extra five bucks to the Union cashiers and thank them for their contributions to this country. Unions are destroying the United States.

Posted by Hmmm
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Nov 14, 2012 at 12:32 pm

So some of you want the poor, who shop at Walmart, to shop at Raleys instead and pay higher prices to pay for the health care of employees after the age of 65, who are already coved by Medicare? That was what this strike was about.

Raley's already offers one of the best benefits package in their sector and healthcare benefits after the age of 65 was the big area of contention. They have already fired half their management and closed many stores and are trying to remain relevant so they stay open and their empoyees have jobs with great benefits.

Posted by Analyst Dude
a resident of Downtown
on Nov 14, 2012 at 2:55 pm

I for one, will be glad to have all the regular Raley's employees, Union & non-union, back in the store and back at work. The working employees (excluding the Head Clerks who walk around with a smirk on their face, a shirt that never gets wrinkled & a phony name on their badge) try to do their best with what they have to work with, and are to be praised for doing so.

Posted by MrsJJHH
a resident of Vintage Hills Elementary School
on Nov 14, 2012 at 3:20 pm

...And while we're on the subject of the Walmart leviathan, am I the only person who thinks it entirely possible that they will never actually open their proposed store on the former Nob Hill site? I suspect that they invested in the site merely to stop any other grocery store moving into the location. If so, I feel very sorry for the small traders there who were so excited to think that they'd soon have an anchor store to bring them back some business.

Posted by contract
a resident of another community
on Nov 14, 2012 at 4:12 pm

It takes two sides to agree to an employment contract, the employer and the worker. If the worker has a union to help with the contract, nothing wrong with that. In the end both sides agree and it is prejudiced speculation to say one side 'gives in to the demands' of the other. If you boycott Raley's just to "spank" the unions, you are also harming the employer who agreed to the contract. The country is not being destroyed.

Posted by common sense
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Nov 14, 2012 at 5:46 pm

Walmart trashing must be a knee jerk reaction. Name a store, any store that doesn't sell a product made in China. As you know, the Kirkland brand clothes they sell at Costco are made in China. Having shopped all the stores, Walmart doesnt have the lowest prices for everything. It's called shop wisely, not by where the product originates.